News

06 Dec 2023

Enrique Iglesias & Influence Media Strike Rights Management Deal for Singer’s Recorded Music

Enrique Iglesias and Influence Media Partners have struck a major partnership deal, it was announced Wednesday (Dec. 6).

According to a press release, Influence and Iglesias have partnered on the rights management of his pre-2021 recorded music rights, including his independent masters and his Universal recorded music royalties, along with name, image and likeness (NIL) rights to expand future licensing opportunities for the singer. 

This marks the first NIL deal for Influence Media, which last year partnered with Black Rock and Warner Music Group for funding and infrastructure.

“My songs hold immense significance for both my fans and me,” Iglesias said in a statement. “I’m excited to be working with the Influence Media team. I feel confident we will build an enduring partnership for my music and future projects.”

“Enrique is a global icon and having him as a part of our Influence Media family is a game-changing moment for us,” added Lylette Pizarro, Influence Media founder/co-managing partner. “For a quarter of a century, he has captivated fans globally with chart-topping and record-breaking hits. From ‘Experiencia Religiosa’ to ‘Hero’ and ‘Bailando’ to ‘I Like It’ and  ‘Be With You,’ there are few artists who come close to accomplishing what Enrique has achieved commercially. He has played a pivotal role in introducing bilingual music to the masses. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with one of the most recognizable figures in modern music.”

With a career that spans over three decades, Iglesias is one of the first Spanish-language acts to successfully cross over into the English-language market. He has placed five top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including “I Like It,” “Tonight (I’m Lovin’ You)” and “Hero.” He’s also placed three top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 (Escape, Euphoria and Sex And Love) and 27 No. 1 hits on the Hot Latin Songs chart.

Currently on the U.S. Trilogy Tour with Pitbull and Ricky Martin, Iglesias most recently scored his eighth No. 1 on the Tropical Airplay chart with his bachata collab “Así Es La Vida” with Maria Becerra. The 48-year-old artist is set to drop his new album, Final Vol. 2, next year.

Iglesias was represented by Mitch Tenzer and John Branca from Ziffren Brittenham LLP. Influence was represented by Lisa Alter from Alter, Kendrick and Baron.

Influence Media previously acquired the commercially-released master recording catalog of Blake Shelton for his 2001-2019 output, Future’s song publishing catalog and Puerto Rican songwriter-producer Tainy‘s song publishing catalog from 2005-2021, among other investments.

06 Dec 2023

‘Baby Shark’s Big Movie’: How to Watch Online for Free

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Baby Shark is swimming onto the big screen in its first ever major ocean picture titled Baby Shark’s Big Movie, coming to Nickelodeon and Paramount+ on Friday (Dec. 8). This marks the first feature-length original and animated film based the highly popular children’s show Baby Shark’s Big Show.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The movie follows Baby Shark (Kimiko Glenn) and his family as they move to a new city and leave behind their old life. Now, he must learn to live without his best friend William (Luke Youngblood) by his side — while also trying to stop the evil pop star fish, Stariana (Ashley Tisdale), from stealing his voice and dominating the sea’s music world.

The star-studded cast also includes Cardi B, Offset, Lance Bass, Kulture Kiari Cephus, Wave Set Cephus, Chloe Fineman, Ego Nwodim, Aparna Nancherla, Patrick Warburton, Debra Wilson, Eric Edelstein and Natasha Rothwell.

Keep reading to learn the streaming options available.

When & How to Watch Baby Shark’s Big Movie for Free

Baby Shark’s Big Movie will premiere on Nickelodeon and Paramount+ on Friday (Dec. 8). If you have cable or live TV, you can watch the movie when it airs on Nick at 12 p.m. ET. Check with your cable provider’s channel guide to see what channel Nick is on. Don’t have cable? You may be able to watch it through an HD antenna like one here on Amazon.

Paramount+ is home to Nickelodeon content and more, which means if you have a subscription, you can stream Baby Shark’s Big Movie for no additional cost — just sign into your account and find it under Nick programs.

If you don’t have a Paramount+ subscription you can take advantage of their seven day free trial that’ll give you access to Baby Shark’s Big Movie and more. Once the free trial is up, you’ll be charged the regular subscription fee based on the plan you choose. Click here or the button below to start your free trial.

There are two plans you can choose from: Paramount+ Essential or Paramount+ with Showtime. The Essential Plan is the cheapest at $5.99/month and is ad-supported with access to tens of thousands of episodes and movies, NFL on CBS, UFEA Champions League and live CBS news. Paramount+ with Showtime is $11.99/month and has no commercials as well as expands your content library with Showtime original shows and movies. You’ll also get everything in the Essential plan along with live TV on CBS, college football and the ability to download content and watch it offline.

Programs you can look forward to watching include Survivor, NCIS, Blue Bloods, Big Brother, Jersey Shore Family Vacation, Frasier, Mixtape, Family Legacy, I Wanna Rock, Hip Hop My House, Behind The Music, Yellowstone, Fatal Attraction, Rabbit Hole, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, 1923, iCarly, The Good Fight, Mayor of Kingstown, Seal Team, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, Why Women Kill and Before I Forget. With Showtime, you can stream original shows and movies such as Yellowjackets, The 12th Victim, Dexter, Dexter: New Blood, George & Tammy, Homeland, Ziwe, Penny Dreadful, Buried and more.

More Ways to Stream Baby Shark’s Big Movie

Looking for more affordable streaming options? You can take advantage of live TV platforms that are offering free trials and promos, which will save you money and give you access to hundreds of channels and content.

DirecTV Stream is offering a five-day free trial on top of a $25 off the first two months when you bundle any of its plans with a sports package. When the free trial ends, you’ll be charged the discounted price for the first two months, then full-price, which will depend on the plan you choose.

Philo is another wallet-friendly option offering a week-long free trial that’ll provide you with over 70 channels and access to DVR. Once the free trial is over, you’ll be charged $25 a month.

Get a week long free trial as well as $20 off the first two months with FuboTV. You’ll be able to watch programs on up to 10 devices at once and get DVR to watch programs later. Once the free trial has expired, you’ll be charged the full subscription price based on the plan that you choose.

And, for the most content options, Hulu + Live TV give you a 30 day free trial, access to all of the Hulu library and hundreds of live TV channels including Nickelodeon. If you want even more program offerings, you can bundle it with Disney+ and ESPN+ for an additional cost.

Check below to watch the trailer for Baby Shark’s Big Movie.

06 Dec 2023

Ice Spice Says This ‘Gorgeous Man’ Was Her First Celebrity Crush

Ice Spice got it bad for Usher!

The rapper sat down with Doja Cat for a special edition Instagram podcast titled Close Friends Only, where the duo discussed a variety of topics, from fashion trends and their 2023 eras to tips for flirting on social media.

At one point, Doja asks Ice Spice who her first celebrity crush was. “Ugh, it’s so embarrassing,” the 23-year-old star replies, but Doja eventually convinces her to reveal the truth. “It was Usher,” Ice reveals. “I saw him at the Met Gala and it was my first time ever seeing him, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, it’s him.”

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“He’s beautiful,” Doja says, and Ice Spice agrees by noting, “Gorgeous man.”

Elsewhere in the episode, Ice Spice revealed the “checklist” for making it into her Close Friends Stories on Instagram. “The checklist would have to be we met in person at least once. That’s about it,” she simply explained, to which the “Paint the Town Red” star replied, “Well, damn! Put me on there.”

The full podcast episode of Close Friends Only, produced in collaboration with The Unwell Network, will go live across streaming platforms including Spotify, iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts and YouTube on Thursday (Dec. 7).

It’s been a big year for the superstar duo, who both released new projects this year. Ice Spice dropped her EP Like..? back in January, while Doja unveiled her highly anticipated follow-up to Planet Her, Scarlet, in September.

Watch Ice Spice and Doja Cat discuss their celebrity crushes below.

06 Dec 2023

A Timeline of Kanye West & Taylor Swift’s Relationship

After the Swifties took over Twitter in a rage, the pop star finally tapped the mic to speak up. On her Instagram Story, Swift addressed the new videos but quickly turned the attention to the World Health Organization and Feeding America donation pages to aid coronavirus relief efforts.

“Instead of answering those who are asking how I feel about the video footage that leaked, proving that I was telling the truth the whole time about that call (you know, the one that was illegally recorded, that somebody edited and manipulated in order to frame me and put me, my family, and fans through hell for 4 years)… SWIPE UP to see what really matters,” she posted, linking out to Feeding America and World Health Organization.

Later that same night, Kim Kardashian West stepped in yet again, brewing the #KimKardashianIsOverParty storm. She crafted a long Twitter thread argument that tagged Swift’s account to directly call her out for choosing to “reignite an old exchange – that at this point in time feels very self-serving given the suffering millions of real victims are facing right now” regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

“To be clear, the only issue I ever had around the situation was that Taylor lied through her publicist who stated that ‘Kanye never called to ask for permission…’ They clearly spoke so I let you all see that. Nobody ever denied the word ‘b—h’ was used without her permission,” Kardashian stated on social media before addressing what she considered to be the crux of the four-year-old controversy. “At the time when they spoke the song had not been fully written yet, but as everyone can see in the video, she manipulated the truth of their actual conversation in her statement when her team said she ‘declined and cautioned him about releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message.’ The lie was never about the word b—h, It was always whether there was a call or not and the tone of the conversation.”

The reality TV star also denied claims that she edited her Snapchat footage from 2016 and defended her husband’s right to record his musical process as an artist.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

After Kardashian provoked Swift’s publicist Tree Paine by saying the “Reputation” artist used her to lie by saying West never called to ask for permission, Paine published an “unedited original statement” that read, “Kanye did not call for approval, but to ask Taylor to release his single ‘Famous’ on her Twitter account. She declined and cautioned him about releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message. Taylor was never made aware of the actual lyric, ‘I made that b—h famous.’”

Additionally, Kardashian’s younger sister Khloé Kardashian weighed in on the matter, praising her sister’s lawyer-like instincts. “I was about to go take my a– to sleep but then I just saw my sister post a couple tweets. Kimberly you betta!!!!!!!!!!!” she tweeted. “Kim is my f—ing lawyer for life!!!!!! My sister AND my lawyer.”

06 Dec 2023

Billboard & TalkShopLive Feature Exclusive Walmart Toys From Your Favorite Netflix Shows & Movies | Billboard News

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Billboard and TalkShopLive partnered up to feature exclusive Walmart toys from your favorite Netflix shows and movies such as Stranger Things, Rebel Moon and Love Is Blind to help with your holiday shopping this year.

Tetris Kelly:
Continuing our weeklong partnership with TalkShopLive, we’ve teamed up with Walmart and Netflix to bring you gifts from all your favorite Netflix shows and movies like Squid Game, Stranger Things, Love Is Blind and their new film dropping Dec. 22, Rebel Moon. Check out some of these great items.

JoeJoe Corral:
So this dart blaster is the Adventure Force Stranger Things Demogorgon tracker dart blaster with Nerf darts. All right, so this guy right here again, this one’s loaded and I’ll let you … I’ll let you do this one. So basically, you’re gonna pull this, load it so it locks, and then, yeah, there you go.

Walaa Elsiddig:
Oh look, this is the first one where you can do multiple rounds at once. I’m assuming.

JoeJoe Corral:
Yeah. This is the one you really want on your side. She’s shooting our producer off camera.

Walaa Elsiddig:
You know, this is actually, this I imagined if I was gonna battle, I want all three of these, like, in rotation. So depending on what and who I’m attacking, I know which one to go for.

JoeJoe Corral:
Exactly.

Walaa Elsiddig:
These are so fun. And the grip, this was easy.

JoeJoe Corral:
It’s, like, it’s kind of crazy how effective it is. It just shot across the entire room.

Walaa Elsiddig:
Three times.

Tetris Kelly:
I have to get that Stranger Things dart blaster. To shop any of the items featured, use the link below.

Shop the best gifts from Netflix shows and movies from Billboard Live Shopping Week with TalkShopLive here.

06 Dec 2023

Perfect 10: Busta Rhymes Extends Top 10 Album Streak With ‘Blockbusta’

Busta Rhymes bounds back onto Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart as his new effort, Blockbusta, debuts at No. 10 on the list dated Dec. 9. The set, released on The Conglomerate/Epic Records, becomes the rapper’s 10th top 10 album and extends his perfect streak among his original studio albums.

Blockbusta, which dropped on Nov. 24, earned just under 23,000 equivalent album units in the tracking week of Nov. 24 – 30, according to Luminate. Traditional album sales contribute 14,000 of the first-week total, with streaming activity in second place, at a little below 8,000 units – equaling 11.1 million official on-demand audio and video streams of the album’s tracks. The remaining 1,000 units come from track-equivalent album units (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.)

As Blockbusta launches, it secures Busta Rhymes’ 10th top 10 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Of his 14 charted titles, the only set to miss the top tier was, perhaps ironically, the compilation The Best of Busta Rhymes, which charted for one week at No. 97 in 2001. With the list updating this week, here’s a full review of Busta Rhymes’ top 10 projects on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums:

Album Title, Peak Position, Peak Date
The Coming, No. 1 (one week), April 13, 1996
When Disaster Strikes, No. 1 (one week), Oct. 4, 1997
E.L.E.: Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front, No. 2, Jan. 2, 1999
Anarchy, No. 1 (one week), July 8, 2000
Genesis, No. 2, Dec. 15, 2001
It Ain’t Safe No More…, No. 10, May 3, 2003
The Big Bang, No. 1 (one week), July 1, 2006
Back on My B.S., No. 2, June 6, 2009
ELE 2: The Wrath of God, No. 4, Nov. 14, 2020
Blockbusta, No. 10 (to date), Dec. 9, 2023

The new album has already spun off two singles that have charted on some Billboard radio charts. “Beach Ball,” with BIA, reached No. 29 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in September, while “Luxury Life,” featuring Coi Leray, did one better, peaking at No. 28 on the same radio ranking last month.

Elsewhere, Blockbusta debuts at No. 6 on the Top Rap Albums chart and at No. 42 on the all-genre Billboard 200. Part of the latter’s fortunes are due to timing, with 10 Christmas or holiday-themed albums parked above it as the chart’s annual rush of holiday titles picks up steam as the season approaches.

06 Dec 2023

Bobbi Storm’s Michael McDonald-Sampling ‘We Can’t Forget Him’ Tops Hot Gospel Songs Chart

Bobbi Storm debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Gospel Songs chart (dated Dec. 9) with “We Can’t Forget Him.”

It’s the Detroit native’s first entry on Hot Gospel Songs and the chart’s first No. 1 arrival in over a year since DJ Khaled’s “Use This Gospel (Remix)” featuring Kanye West and Eminem in September 2022. A woman without any collaborators had not made such an entrance since Queen Naija with “War Cry” in December 2018.

“We Can’t Forget Him” drew 6.3 million in radio airplay audience and 108,000 official U.S. streams Nov. 24-30, according to Luminate. On Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, it holds at its No. 14 high (up 1% in plays); on Rhythmic Airplay, it ranks at No. 28 (up 6%).

Notably, the song samples Michael McDonald’s No. 4-peaking 1982 Billboard Hot 100 classic “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near).” Alonza Wilmore Allen, Stefanee Bobbi Morrison and Kasey Rashel Sims co-wrote “We Can’t Forget Him,” with the writers of McDonald’s hit – McDonald, Warren Griffin, Nathaniel Hale, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stroller – also credited.

A bit of drama surrounded Storm recently, as she posted a since-deleted video on Instagram Nov. 10 of herself performing “We Can’t Forget Him” on a Delta Air Lines plane. She was told to sit down, with a flight attendant warning her, “If you’re not able to follow my instructions, you will not be able to take this flight.” Storm took her seat and noted that she’s “up for two Grammys,” and sang her hit at a soft volume.

Storm is a featured vocalist on a pair of tracks on Maverick City Music’s The Maverick Way, which is nominated for best gospel album at the 2024 Grammy Awards, although she is not nominated for any awards individually. The set debuted at No. 1 on Top Gospel Albums in November and has dominated for three weeks.

Storm’s first solo album, Holy Mixes, is due early next year.

06 Dec 2023

Diddy Denies Sexual Assault Claims: ‘I Did Not Do Any of the Awful Things Being Alleged’

Following four lawsuits filed against Sean “Diddy” Combs alleging sexual assault, the rapper and Bad Boy Records founder is speaking out in a statement posted to Instagram on Wednesday (Dec. 6).

“ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,” he wrote. “For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”

Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassie was the first to accuse him of sexual assault, filing a lawsuit in November in which attorneys for Cassie (born Casandra Ventura) claimed she “endured over a decade of his violent behavior and disturbed demands,” including repeated physical attacks and forcing her to “engage in sex acts with male sex workers” while he masturbated. According to the complaint, after she attempted to separate from him in 2018 after an on-and-off public relationship for 11 years, Combs allegedly “forced her into her home and raped her while she repeatedly said ‘no’ and tried to push him away.” The case was soon settled, but Combs was then sued by two other women who claimed they were sexually abused by the hip-hop mogul. 

On Dec. 6, a fourth woman sued Diddy, claiming she was “sex trafficked” and “gang raped” by Combs, former Bad Boy Records president Harve Pierre and another man in 2003 when she was 17 years old. Pierre could not immediately be reached for comment.

See Diddy’s statement below.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and need support and/or resources, reach out to RAINN and the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800-656-HOPE) for free, confidential help 24/7.

06 Dec 2023

Ice Spice Signs With WME for International Representation

Ice Spice has signed with WME for international representation in all areas, Billboard can confirm. A representative for the rapper confirms that veteran hip-hop agent Cara Lewis and C Lewis Group continue to represent her in North America and Canada.

The news of the WME signing was originally reported by Variety.

The Bronx rapper has continued to blow up since her 2022 breakout single, “Munch (Feelin’ U).” At the top of the year, she released her debut EP, Like..?, via 10K Projects and Capitol Records. The EP received a deluxe version in July and eventually peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200. The project spawned numerous hits, including “Princess Diana” — which received a remix with Nicki Minaj that reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Ice’s second top 10 hit following “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2” with PinkPantheress — and “Deli,” which reached No. 41 on the Hot 100 and became her highest-charting solo hit on the chart.

Ice Spice has a total of four Hot 100 top 10 hits to her name, also including the “Karma” remix with Taylor Swift (which the two performed live for the first time at the East Rutherford, N.J. stop of Swift’s Eras Tour) and “Barbie World” with Minaj and Aqua. The 23-year-old drill MC recently snagged four nominations ahead of the 2024 Grammy Awards: best new artist, best pop duo/group performance for “Karma,” and best rap song and best song written for visual media for “Barbie World.”

The rapper is currently touring with Doja Cat on the Scarlet Tour, which wraps next Wednesday, Dec. 13 at Chicago’s United Center.

Billboard crowned Ice as R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Year in August.

06 Dec 2023

Demi Lovato & Clean Bandit’s ‘Solo’ Joins YouTube’s Billion Views Club

Demi Lovato and Clean Bandit‘s five-year-old duet “Solo” is the newest member of YouTube‘s Billion Views Club.

The electronic dance track’s music video has been watched more than one billion times on the video platform since it was uploaded in May 2018. The wide-lens project finds Lovato, whose vocals are featured on the song, singing to the camera in between shots of Clean Bandit’s Jack and Luke Patterson cooking up a mysterious drug in a basement lab underneath a laundromat.

At the end, a patron played by Clean Bandit’s Grace Chatto tests out the drug on her boyfriend — who promptly turns into a rainbow-colored dog.

“Since you been gone/ I’ve been dancing on my own,” Lovato sings. “There’s boys up in my zone/ But they can’t turn me on.”

“Solo” bowed at No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 about a month after it first debuted on the chart in July 2018. It was also that year’s most searched song on Shazam, with Nicky Jam and J Balvin’s “X” and Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa’s “One Kiss” following close behind in second and third place.

The song soared to No. 48 on the Streaming Songs chart in August 2018, showing 14 percent streaming gains that month. Shortly prior to the spike, Lovato was hospitalized due to a near-fatal overdose.

The “Cool for the Summer” singer is currently gearing up to release A Very Demi Holiday Special on Roku. The Dec. 8 program will feature live performances from Lovato as well as guest appearances from Paris Hilton, Tiffany Haddish and Trixie Mattell.

Watch the “Solo” music video above.